Working to make Nebraska a more bicycle friendly state

Nebraska has a long way to go to be considered a bicycle friendly state, but the Nebraska Bicycling Alliance told local enthusiasts they are working hard to make improvements.

The state’s non-profit bicycling advocacy organization met with approximately 15 people Thursday night to discuss the opportunities in the area to ride and also the barriers they face in taking up their sport.

Julie Tuttle Harris, a local native and spokesperson for Nebraska Bicycling Alliance, says the state is currently ranked the #50 bicycle friendly state while our neighbor to the south, Colorado, is #6.

Harris says “I think what we have determined is that Nebraska is  not doing a lot of things wrong but that our peers are going out and doing much more, being much more  pro-active in making  things better and safer for all users of the road. We’re not keeping up and we have a lot of work to do in that area.”

Harris  says there is momentum to improve and establish new bicycle trials in the Wildcats Hills Recreation area. The planned trail through Scottsbluff that would connect with the Monument Valley Pathways in Gering would also make the area much more friendly for bike travel.